‘The Righteous Gemstones’ Blends Cinematic Influences in Season 5
This week, HBO’s The Righteous Gemstones delivers a unique episode that cleverly fuses the aesthetics of two distinct films: Stanley Kubrick’s “Barry Lyndon” and George A. Romero’s “Monkey Shines.” Under the visionary leadership of showrunner Danny McBride, the series continues to showcase its penchant for playful homage to classic cinema.
Creative Inspirations Behind the Episode
In an interview with IndieWire, McBride elaborated on the inspiration drawn from cinematic history. “Our background is in film and a love of film,” he stated, highlighting the collaborative efforts with fellow directors David Gordon Green, Jody Hill, and Jonathan Watson. The goal is to weave historical references into their comedic narratives, particularly through inventive storytelling methods.
Episode Highlights
Episode 5, titled “You Shall Remember,” marks a significant moment where the rivalry intensifies between Jesse Gemstone, portrayed by McBride himself, and Vance Simkins, played by Stephen Dorff. This rivalry culminates during a meeting of an exclusive society known as the “cape and pistol” group. Here, director Jody Hill pays tribute to “Barry Lyndon” by incorporating a series of slow Zooms set to Schubert’s “Piano Trio No. 2,” creating a juxtaposition between the gravity of Kubrick’s film and the absurdity of the characters’ antics.
Contrasting Cinematic Influences
The humor in this scene resonates on multiple levels. While it remains entertaining for all viewers, those familiar with “Barry Lyndon” will find extra amusement in the stark contrast between its meticulous portrayal of historical events and the humor of Jesse and Vance’s interactions. In parallel, the episode also draws inspiration from Romero’s 1988 horror film “Monkey Shines.”
Monkeys and Mayhem
In “Monkey Shines,” a quadriplegic man develops a disturbing bond with his service monkey, which manifests violent tendencies. Mirroring this narrative, the character BJ, played by Tim Baltz, forms a similarly questionable attachment to his support monkey, prompting concern from his wife Judy (Edi Patterson). McBride acknowledged that “Monkey Shines” served as a major inspiration for this subplot, noting the challenges of working with an uncooperative animal on set: “A monkey doesn’t take direction,” he commented.
Fostering Creativity Through Challenge
For McBride, including a monkey as a central character is indicative of the show’s ethos—embracing challenges to foster creativity. He remarked on the fun aspects of the production, highlighting the unique circumstances of actors like Tim Baltz needing to engage closely with the monkey: “Even just Tim Baltz having to kiss the monkey and get comfortable around the monkey. That was definitely fun for us to play around with.”
Availability and Additional Listening
The current season of The Righteous Gemstones airs weekly on HBO and is available for streaming on Max. Additionally, fans can look forward to more insights from McBride in his upcoming appearance on the Filmmaker Toolkit podcast. To catch this intriguing discussion, ensure to subscribe on platforms like Apple and Spotify.
